ethnology
noun
eth·nol·o·gy
eth-ˈnä-lə-jē 
: a branch of cultural anthropology dealing chiefly with the comparative and analytical study of cultures
broadly
: cultural anthropology
Examples of ethnology in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In this insightful talk, Mark Collard delves into the significant yet underappreciated role of ethnology in archaeology.
—
David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2024
Alexander Hoffmann, a student of ethnology, is impressed by the intellect of their translator Kezia Kambazembi, and begins to question the racial theories of white supremacy.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Feb. 2023
In the fields of ethnology and anthropology, scholars such as Arnold van Gennep and, later, Victor Turner introduced liminality to describe the periods of ambiguity during rites of passage.
—Jake Pitre, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2022
As part of that approach, Page, who runs a nonprofit focused on the ethnology and documentation of dance of the African diaspora, wanted to implement the concept of masquerade in the staging and choreography.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 5 Oct. 2022
While Godard was studying ethnology at the Sorbonne in the late 1940s, the first cine-clubs began sprouting up all over the capital.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Sep. 2022
The museum has not had a curator of African art and ethnology since August of 2019, when Mary Jo Arnoldi retired after 35 years.
—Peggy McGlone, Washington Post, 27 July 2022
On the coat’s interior, Fields digitally printed photos of historic moments, documents, ethnology reports and even her great-grandfather.
—Lily Katzman, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2020
The dictionary, published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, where Dr. Laughlin was curator of Mesoamerican ethnology, was not simply a compilation of which Tzotzil word equals which English word.
—Neil Genzlinger, BostonGlobe.com, 26 June 2020
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David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2024
Alexander Hoffmann, a student of ethnology, is impressed by the intellect of their translator Kezia Kambazembi, and begins to question the racial theories of white supremacy.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Feb. 2023
In the fields of ethnology and anthropology, scholars such as Arnold van Gennep and, later, Victor Turner introduced liminality to describe the periods of ambiguity during rites of passage.
—Jake Pitre, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2022
As part of that approach, Page, who runs a nonprofit focused on the ethnology and documentation of dance of the African diaspora, wanted to implement the concept of masquerade in the staging and choreography.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 5 Oct. 2022
While Godard was studying ethnology at the Sorbonne in the late 1940s, the first cine-clubs began sprouting up all over the capital.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 13 Sep. 2022
The museum has not had a curator of African art and ethnology since August of 2019, when Mary Jo Arnoldi retired after 35 years.
—Peggy McGlone, Washington Post, 27 July 2022
On the coat’s interior, Fields digitally printed photos of historic moments, documents, ethnology reports and even her great-grandfather.
—Lily Katzman, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2020
The dictionary, published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, where Dr. Laughlin was curator of Mesoamerican ethnology, was not simply a compilation of which Tzotzil word equals which English word.
—Neil Genzlinger, BostonGlobe.com, 26 June 2020
Cite this Entry
“Ethnology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnology. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
ethnology
noun
eth·nol·o·gy
eth-ˈnäl-ə-jē
plural ethnologies
: a branch of cultural anthropology dealing chiefly with the comparative and analytical study of cultures
broadly
: cultural anthropology
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